It's Time to Say Goodbye Forever
by Izlawake
Summary: RIP Monty Oum. While visiting Velvet in the hospital, Teams RWBY and JNPR make a surprise visit to a legend of a man, Monty Oum, while he is in the hospital, and he spreads his sage words to them all.


**It's Time to Say Goodbye Forever**

A/N: For the Oum family, Rooster Teeth, and the fans.

Both teams RWBY and JNPR were walking down the halls of the Vale Memorial Hospital, hoping to visit Velvet who has been admitted after a terrible injury during a mission. They already got Velvet's room location, which was located on the third floor. "I hope Velvet is alright," Ruby muttered with a bouquet of flowers clutched in her hands.

"I'm sure she's just fine, sis," said Yang. "She's a tough bunny, so I doubt some scratches from a Beowolf would take her down." They soon found Velvet's room, which had the rest of her team inside crowding around her bed. They gave Velvet the flowers, paid their respects, and left, wanting to return to Beacon now, but they were suddenly stopped by a nurse, who grabbed Ren by the back of his shoulder.

"What are you doing out of your room?" she demanded. She turned Ren around and realized her mistake. "Oh, sorry, I thought you were one of our patients."

"No trouble at all," Ren told her.

"Well, since you all are here, can you go check on the patient in room 636 on this floor, right down the hall? We're a little busy today, and I cannot go check on him at the moment." Before any of them even had a chance to reject, she was speeding down the hall. While Blake and Weiss just wanted to go back to their dorm, they all decided they might as well check on the patient to make sure he was alright.

They found room 636 with no trouble, and inside, they upon the dull grey walls with a young raven-haired man who looked a tad like Ren, which explained why the nurse confused them. "Whoa, he looks just like you, Ren," Nora noted rather loud.

"Nora, be quiet!" Weiss hissed. "He's probably fast asleep!"

"No, I wasn't at all," said a voice, making everyone jump." The raven-haired man sat up in his bed. "Hello, I wasn't expecting visitors."

"Um, hi," said Ruby. "One of the nurses wanted us to check up on you, see how you're doing."

"Oh, well thank you. My name is Monty. Monty Oum." Everyone introduced themselve one after the other. "I really appreciate you all coming to visit."

"So what are you in here for?" Jaune asked.

"I got an allergic reaction during a medical procedure a few days ago and I've been here since," Monty answered. "It wasn't too bad, but I'll be here for awhile."

"That's good to hear," Ren commented.

"It's so odd, you look just like me, almost like you could pass for my family." Ruby chuckled behind her hand.

"Well, maybe you two can go the family reunion in a few weeks," she sniggered, making Monty laugh.

"So, what sort of things are you teens up to?" Monty asked.

"We are Huntsmen and Huntresses in training!" Ruby proudly said.

"Huntsmen, huh? Must be thrilling."

"Not when you're weak at everything and can't use your Semblance," Jaune muttered. Monty moved himself up in his seat to look at the blond better

"Never think that you are weak, Jaune Arc," Monty told him, pointing a finger at him. "Weakness indicates that you are incapable of anything, and I can see that you are not weak. Just because someone is more proficient at a subject than you does not mean you are worthless, for there is always at least one thing that you are better at than they are." Monty glanced over at Pyrrha, who was listening with full attention. "For one thing, I can tell you are quite good at making friends, allies, and maybe more." Pyrrha began to blush at that last part.

"Blake, come see Monty," Yang told her feline friend, who, unbeknownst to everyone, was sitting in a chair she pulled up to the side of the bed and was reading her book.

"I don't want to," she shot out from behind her book.

"Blake Belladonna, please come here," Monty beckoned. Thinking that if she went to his side that he will leave her alone, Blake set down her book and went to his side, only to be yanked into a tight hug by Monty. She tried to break free of his grip, but he was too strong somehow. "There, feel better now?" he asked.

"I would if you would let go of me," she hissed. In a surprising turn, Monty pulled her bow off, revealing her cat ears. "Hey, give that back!"

Monty only smiled at her mean face. "You look better without a bow," he said. "You should never have to be ashamed of who you are, despite what others may think."

Blake snatched back her bow. "How would you know? You don't know what it's like to be branded as such trash when you're not."

Monty could feel Blake's pain in his heart. He let out a sigh. "My family came to Vale poor, with me an unborn child. When I grew old enough, people thought I would amount to nothing what with my poor school grades, but I have persevered and in that time, I have proven those people wrong. Blake, do not let the words of others shape you else you end up proving them right when you don't want them to."

Monty's words stung Blake's insides. She looked down at her bow and instead of putting it back on her ears, she pocketed it and sat back down, but did not go back to reading. "What are you, some kind of wise sage?" Nora asked.

Monty smiled at her. "In a sense, I am."

"You do appear to be very wise and uplifting, Mr Oum," Pyrrha commented. Monty smiled at her.

At that moment, a nurse came in through the door. "Visiting hours are almost over, children. You've got two minutes before you need to leave." She then left.

"I guess we better be going then," Ruby muttered. Monty reached over and took her hand in his.

"Thank you for visiting me, Ruby Rose," he said in a gentle tone. "Thank you, everyone…you know, I believe that the human spirit is indomitable. If you endeavor to achieve, it will happen given enough resolve. It may not be immediate, and often your greater dreams is something you will not achieve within your own lifetime. The effort you put forth to anything transcends yourself, for there is no futility even in death."

"Such beautiful words," Pyrrha noted.

"Thank you, Ms Nikos." A bell chime rang out in the hall, indicating that visiting hours were over. "Well, looks like you guys have to go now."

"Goodbye, Monty," Ruby said.

"Goodbye, Ruby Rose. Good luck becoming a Huntress. Good luck to all of you." Everyone smiled and said goodbye, heading out the door, but Monty stopped Jaune last. "Here, Jaune, I want you to have this." Monty pulled a small bead bracelet off his left wrist and handing it to the teen.

"What is this?" Jaune asked, looking at it. Colorful beads lined the strong string, with one long bead with "Keep Moving Forward" inscribed upon it.

"It was a gift from my mother when I was young. Whenever something happened in my life that made me sad or angry, I would look at that and know that I have to leave it behind and move forward in my life."

"I cannot accept this, it is yours," Jaune told him, offering it back, but Monty refused.

"You need it more than I. Remember my words, Jaune, and you will see yourself becoming a great Huntsman one day." Monty smiled and leaned back, ready to go to sleep. Jaune looked at the bracelet for a moment, then slipped it onto his right wrist before leaving.

**( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

A few days later, the news was abuzz with Lisa Lavender with a breaking report. Teams RWBY and JNPR were having breakfast when the the large hologram television flashed on with the report in the cafeteria, stretching across one of the walls. Everyone froze with their meal to se what was going on.

"Terrible news today," Lisa Lavender started. "Monty Oum has died early today in the hospital, succumbing to a terrible allergic reaction that he contracted about ten days prior. Mr Oum worked for the studio Cock Bite as a talented and self-taught animator there. We will have a full report later today." The news switched off, leaving a number of people either wondering who this Monty Oum was, while those who were fans openly wept whom were cradled by other fans and their teammates.

"I had no idea Monty Oum was famous," Ruby muttered to the others.

"He looked so healthy in the hospital," Nora whispered to herself. Ren took her in his arms and hugged her.

"He was such a kind person too," he noted.

Jaune looked at the bracelet on his wrist, notably the inscription. "We can mourn for a while, but let us not be consumed in grief forever. Let's take his words to heart and work hard to become the greatest Huntsmen we can be. Let us keep moving forward, for Monty Oum."

"I agree," said Pyrrha.

"I'm in," said a saddened Blake.

"For Monty," chimed in Ruby.

Everyone chimed in with their own agreement. By the end of the day, when the full report on Monty Oum's death was revealed, all his fans were greatly saddened by his passing, but while they still mourned, they knew that they must move forward without him, striving to become better at what they loved. The entire world of Remnant was touched that such a man touched the hearts of so many and inspired so much within such a short lifetime.

Rest in peace, Monty Oum. You may have passed away, but you are not dead. A man does not die when he is shot through the heart, stabbed in the gut, or dies of an allergic reaction, he dies when he is forgotten. You will never be forgotten, Monty, thus allowing you to live forever. Thank you for everything.

**THE END…**


End file.
